It's impossible to know, but given the high rate of vaccination here, it seems unlikely to replace the current dominant B.1.1.7 strain. With nearly 47% of people in the United States at least partially vaccinated, it's going to be more difficult for a new strain to take over. "We have high levels of community immunization so even though it's here, it's got less room to grow," said Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco.